Users of social media website Reddit are outraged after someone posted a picture of unappetising green chicken on display at Tauriko Pak'nSave.
The picture shows shelves of 1.5-2 kg packs of "extra-low" discounted chicken, selling for between $10-$11 at the Bay of Plenty Pak'nSave.
However, the outstanding feature in the picture is not the "extra-low" price of the chicken, but the large green spots on the meat.
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Reddit users broadcasted their disgust about the picture, with many exclaiming the post had turned them vegetarian.
"I just got campylobacter from looking at this," one user wrote.
"They're trying to sell this for $10? I wouldn't eat this if they paid me $10 instead," another user wrote.
One user commented that they would have to assess the chicken further before deciding whether it was fit for consumption.
"Just because it looks a little odd, doesn't mean I wouldn't cook with it. I'd need to touch and smell it to see if it's spoiled or rotten," they wrote.
Many Reddit users pointed out the best before date on the chicken - July 1. The picture was posted to Reddit on July 9, which could explain why parts of the chicken were green.
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The poster of the green chicken picture clarified they had taken the photo 11 days ago, meaning it was green before its best-before date.
A spokesperson for the Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand said they thought the green colour of the chicken breast was to do with the storage of the product.
"We think that it's likely temperature abuse and poor storage. It's an issue for the shop and its supply chain," they told Newshub.
A spokesperson for Pak'nSave's parent company Foodstuffs told Newshub they are currently investigating a potential chicken quality issue reported to their Pak'nSave Tauriko store.
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"We have initiated corrective action and are liaising with MPI and our supplier, Brinks Chicken, to determine if any food safety risks are present," Foodstuffs said.
"There is clearly a quality issue causing the discolouration on some pieces of meat and once we know more we will be in a position to provide more information."
Foodstuffs confirmed to Newshub no product withdrawal notices have been issued.
Newshub.
